Dies



Patented Feb. 15, 1927.

Unirse stares" i y 195117547 maar carica.

WILLIAM H. SCHNEIDER, E MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin, Assreivoa rro AETHUE.Koo'ra or MILWAUKEE, wisconsin. -Y I 'i DIES.

Appiiation lea February 11, 1925. seriai No. 8,442.

The invention relates to dies. In the making of articles of variousshapes from thin sheet metal, such as alu-Y minum foil or .from paper orother sheet material capable of being pressed or formed into the desiredshape, it has been customary to shape the sheet material betweenspecially made male and female dies with fixed 1mpressions so thatonlyone article of a certain shape could be produced with ea'ch set of dies.Such laprocedure of forming thev articles involved a great expense indieVcost since a distinct set of dies hadfto be'made for each particularform orarticle to be produced, and this situation has prevented thesuccessful marketing of ornamental articles, such as Christmas-treeornaments of stand- Y ard form, up to the present time. VOne Yof theobjects of this invention is to vprovide a die'construction suitable formaking-orner ments or other articles in which one o ftheV dies is soconstructed and arranged asl to conform to a vgreat 'variety of shapesand sizes of forming dies, so rthat `the cost of V dies for forming' thearticles is materially reduced and ornaments of Vstamped form, such asChristmas-tree ornaments, made of thin sheet metal can be produced at acost` provide a die construction in whichone of theV dies is used topress the material being lformed against the forming die,V saidfirstnamed die being composed of a pluralityrof independently movableelements that are yieldingly mounted4 so that they `may :be

. moved to automatically adjustV themselves to conformto the shape ofsaid forming die.

YA further object of .the invention is to provide a die constructionwhereby blanks of sheet material may be subjected to a 'cor-V rugat-ingprocess to form such blanks in articles of the desired shape. l

The invention further consistsl in the sev.-V

is a bottom view of one ofthe formmg'dies;

Y rubber band 23 vwhich the dieembodying the invention7 the vforming diebeing shown in an' upper position.;` f

Fig. 4 is a view similar toV Fig. 3, showing the forming die in itslower position;

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view similar to Fig. 3, Vshowing thelforming die in-an intermediate position; 1 I Fig. 6 isa detail sectionalview taken von the line 6`6 of Fig..5; 'i i I Figs. 7 and` 8`are detailsectional views. of the sheeteholding parts of the'dies,Fig. 7 showingthe parts separated and Fig. 8A showing the parts in operative position;

Figa `9, 10 and 11- are4 detail sectional views of forming' diesofdifferent shapes for use with the adjustable die; Fig. 12 is anelevation'vievs7 of an orna. ment fashioned by the die-mechanismembodying the invention.- i The adjustable die member.V includes a.frame 14 having a plurality of radially ldisposedwslots 15 formedtherein and cooperating With a top frame 'member 16, secured to saidVframe 14, to form a'plurality of radially disposed guid'eways which`are vpreferably inclined upwardly, as -shown in Fig. 8. 'i

In each of the guideways'formed vas above described, a presser barorxmember 171is5'slidably mounted. Each of these bars ispro! vided witha beveled edge 1'8 lat, its forming end which is also rounded, as'at 19.Flach bar is limited in its inward movement by a Y stop-pin 2Oadjustablyjmountedon an arm 21 secured to the bar and engageablewit-hapart of the frame, here shown as an annular surface 22. i

their stop `position i by means of' 'a strong Y engages the en'd 2/1 ofeach bar. L f

The forming die 25 may -be 'of'a-ny shape desired, either Asymmetricalor unsymmetrica'l7 and where a corrugated article is to, be formed isvprovided with a fl-uted or corrugated surface 26, and soalinedrelativeto the adjustable die that-the beveled edges 18 of the presserbars line up ,with the bottoms of theA flutes or radiallydisposedjcorrugations 27 as shown in Fin.` 6. This lformin a e g die maybe-moved relativel to the' adjustable die, in any suitable manner, andis generally movedY up and down by connection ofy an' operating rod 28`with a suitable press meohanism. A forming die of one shape islshovml.'

The bars are 1 independently `movable and are normallypressed inward to.

in Figq andfforming dies of other shapes i that may be tused inconnection with the adjustable die are shown inrFigs. 9, and 11.V

4With the' above construction a piece of i sheet material, las inet-a1foil,` paper or other material, is placed between the dies vand then jas the forming die descends and moves vpast the presser` bars 17 thematerial is formed by said bars into the'shape of Vthe *forming die,since the bars are forced outwardly by said die 25 as the materialrwith'Y said Vdiemoves over said bars. -As Y the presser'bars Vreadilyconform to various Y' a singlev adjustable die.

Ashapes which the forming die may have, a greatvaretv of articles may bemade with In some instances I iind that it is desirable to exert`pressure upon the material be- Vilflgsshaped- Withoutpermanently'clamping r'it during the forming operation, and for thispurposeI provide a presser or clamping' Vmember 29 movable with andrelative to the formingV die and'cooperating with a fixed 'member 30`on-the top of theadjustable die.

For corrugated articles these members 29' and 30` are kprovided withradially: disposed Vcor'rugations 31 and 32 adapted-to register as shownin Fig.`8, the corrugation 32 being alinedf'with those formed on theforming die; The member 29 is connected with the die'25vby means of acylindrical part 33 Vwhich Vforms 'a guide for. the .forming die 25'connected by screws ,-311 Y with cap rmember 375 slidably mounted onthe-rod 28 and alined with the die 25A by means of a pair of spacedguide rods 36l secured to the basev ofthe forming die and projectingthrough. openings 37'in said cap VThe'member 2.9-may,

wlfie'nfmoved*to an operative position, be

heldV against thi-inmaterial 3'8gbyv its own weight or'by Vpressure froma Vspring 39.

. The action of the dies is shown in Figs.l

V`3tol5, inclusive, and the manner 'in which i Vbythe members 29 and'30is preferably only such as to offer somelresistance to the'rnove-4'the'material is temporarily held whilebeingy pressed intoshape isshownin Fig. 8; ,This

clampingxpressureV exerted upon thev material Y v ment of thematerialrbut. not suchas'to pref VSV betweenr said members as Vtheforming die 25 carries the material past the presser bars. s

vent the-material` from slipping orV sliding Thus, it willrsbeunderstood that the die is not :of thetypeV in which Y material vbeingacted upon is drawn or attenuated, but the -shaping is produced byafben'ding'and ironl'ing action.V Itis noted that'thermembers 29V and 30prevent the material from crinlrling,

fthrougha guide: opening i()y inthe frame.

@speciali sistin't efform'ation off the material prior tofits passage tothe forming die.vv Y

The r-forx'ning` dieV 25ffpreferably Worlr,

Y 14;, and rafter the material pjasses ythe presser barsiit-jmovesrintothis Yopening and then gether.

in the case. offsheet metal, and as# either fallsffrom the die or may bevreadily' removed therefrom. L

In making Christmas-tree ornaments consisting of two complementarysections that are joined together to form the finished ornament, theforming die is preferably provided wth an inclined'annular edge 41 bywhich a flange may begmade on each section .of the ornament Afor use inthe subsequent operation of joining the two sections to- In Fig. 12 Ihave shown a bell-shaped 0r nament 12 formed by pressing a circularblank of metal foil between the adjustable*V 'die and a. forming die,such as shown in vFig. 10. y y

In instances where the shapes are-irre'gw` lar, eachv of (the pressermembers maybe urgedinwardly -by its own spring, as shown in Fig.4,*Where aj spring 43 is connected to to a pin 414,011 the topVA the arm21 and frame 16.

I desire itfto be understood that ythis inventionis not to be limited toany particular form or arrangement of parts except inV so .far as ,such`limitations are specified in the claims or necessitated by the priorart.V

What lI claim as my invention is:` Y 1. A diefcomprising a forming andblankfeeding member and a die co-operatingtherewith to form the.material about said form-ing member as said material is moved pastsaiddie including a plurality of presser members movable relative to theforming VVmember,and means ffor yieldingly urging said presser membersinto operativev actionV withfthe forming member, said/presser mem-y berspermitting. the userof forming dies of various shapes. v f

2. Apparatus into articles of various shapes, Vcomprising a for'`forming sheet material forming die having a corrugated surface, f

a cooperative die member including arplurality of presser membersmovablerelative to the 'forming die and alined With ,the corrugationsyin said 'die' to shape the material over said die vasit moves past saidpresser members, and means for yieldingly holding the presser members totheir work, said presser members beingadapted to accommodateV formingdies of various shapesand sizes.

with a forming die having acorrugatedsurface, of a plurality of pressermembers ladapted to cooperate with the corrugations in said surface andmovable rela-tive thereto to shape and form the material over .said

surface as it is carried past said presser .mem-` bers by the formingdie, of clamping meme Ybers adjacent the forming die and havingY 3. Inardieconstruction, the combination Vradially 174i. In a dieconstruction, the combination of a forming member, of a die membercooperating therewith, a plurality of radially disposed movable pressermembers, adjustable means limiting the inward movement of said members,and yieldable means resisting the outward movement of said members assaid members are moved by said forming die when the material on 'saidAforming die is .guideways, adjustable means between each presser memberand the frame for limiting the inward movement or' each presser member,and means for moving and yieldably holding said presser members in theirinner 0r lstop position, said means permitting the outward movement ofsaid'presser members under the action of saidrforming die.

6. In a die construction, the combination with a forming die, of acooperative die member,comprising a frame provided with disposedinclined guideways, a presser member slidably mount-ed ineach of saidguideways, adjustable means between each presser member and frame forlimiting the inward movement of each presse-r member, and meansengageable with all oi' said presser members for yieldingly maintainingsaid presser members in stop position and permitting theii movementoutwardly under the action of the forming die.

7. In a die construction, the combination with a forming die, of acooperative die member, comprising a frame provided with Ypresserinemberslidably mounted in each'of v said guideways, adjustable means betweeneach presser member and frame for limiting the inward movement of eachpresser-member, ,rand Aa yieldable band engagingv said presser memberstomove them to a stop,

position. Y

8. Inv a die construction, the combination of a forming member having aforming face and an annular flange at the base of said face, of meansincluding a plurality of movable yieldingly traetible pressermembers toshape the material to conform to the shapey of the face of said formingmember and said flange as it moves past said members.

9. A die, comprising a Jforming and blanki'eeding member and a dievlcooperating therewith to form the material about said orinl ing membervincluding' a pluralityv of presser members movable relative to eachotherv andA rugated surface, a cooperative member in-V cluding aplurality of presser members inevable relative to each other and to theorming die'and alined withthe corrugations in said die'to shape thematerial over said dieY as it moves past said members, and means for*yieldingly holding the presser members to their work, said; pressermembers being adapted `to laccommodate forming dies4 of various shapesand sizes. o

In testimony whereof, I 'aiiix my signature.

WILLIAM H. S(II-INEIDER.y Y

